(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and connector housing used for connecting electric wires and so on.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A wiring harness for use in a motor vehicle as a mobile unit includes a connector, in which a male connector housing (hereinafter, male housing) and a female connector housing (hereinafter, female housing) are connected to each other. The male and female housings receive terminal fittings with an electric wire.
There are a plurality of product numbers for the male housing. The male housing of one product number has about the same shape as that of the male housing of the other product number. There are a plurality of product numbers for the female housing. The female housing of one product number has about the same shape as that of the female housing of the other product number.
The connector is constituted by connecting one of the male housings of various product numbers and one of the female housings of various product numbers. There are some specific combinations between the male and female housings, which can be adoptable. On the other hand, there are combinations between the male and female housings, which can not be adoptable. This is a reason why various measures have been employed so far in order to prevent an error in the combination from occurring and to properly connect the male and female housings of desired product number to each other.
The female housing is formed in a cylindrical shape receiving a male-type terminal fittings (hereinafter, male terminal) therein. The male housing has a cylindrical bushing and a body disposed in the bushing. A peripheral wall of the bushing is gradually formed thin as approaching an opening thereof. The body receives, for example, a female-type terminal fittings (hereinafter, female, terminal). The body of the male housing enters into the female housing and the female housing enters into the bushing of the male housing, thereby the male and female housings are connected to each other.
Consequently, as a measure for preventing an error in the combination, a projection projecting from a surface of the female housing has been employed. The male housing of the desired product number to be connected to the female housing, which has the projection, is provided with a recess, into which the projection enters. When the projection enters into the recess, the female housing is connected to the male housing of the desired product number.
The male housing of the other product number, which is not to be connected to the female housing having the projection, is not provided with the recess. The projection comes in contact with the periphery of the opening and the female housing can not be connected to the male housing of the other product number. Thus, the male and female housings of the desired product number have been connected to each other.
The peripheral wall of the bushing of the male housing is gradually formed thin as approaching an opening thereof. Therefore, in the connector having the projection for preventing an error in the combination, when the female housing having the projection is inserted into the male housing of the other product number from an oblique direction, the male housing might possibly be resiliently deformed in a direction, in which the opening of the bushing extends, by the principle of a lever and so on.
That is, when the female housing having the projection is inserted into the male housing of the other product number from an oblique direction, the female housing might possibly easily enter into the bushing of the improper male housing. Thus, in the connector having the projection as the conventional measure for preventing an error in the combination from occurring, there has been a possibility that the connector housings of improper product number are connected to each other.